This illustration represents how our educational system attempts to “know” the Other, the child.

The system frames the student in a way where the only things that matter are measurable statistics and compliance. Essentially, this process acts as a cognitive biopsy that tries to find out what’s missing from the student and discipline them as a corrective measure.

The teacher must facilitate this collection of impersonal data while attending to the very real needs of the child in front of them. The teacher is torn because they feel morally obligated to meet the child’s needs while trying to appease the system that attempts to “know” the child, the “subjected other”, through a series of measurements and numbers.

To get away from these invasive attempts at knowing children, we must learn to “unknow”. That is: Ask questions. Wait patiently. Learm from them.

art M.Ed. Reflections